Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos (1971)

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning) holding hands running across a muddy floor.

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning) © BBC

Director: Michael Ferguson
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Roger Delgado, John Levene, Bernard Holley, Katy Manning
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Dungeness

The Claws of Axos (1971) is a four-part serial from popular sci-fi show Doctor Who starring Jon Pertwee. The Doctor investigates claims by Axons, who are the occupants of a mysterious object that has landed on Earth, to have a miracle substance that would end world famine. When he discovers an old enemy is involved, The Doctor becomes suspicious and must work with the UNIT team to drive the Axons from Earth. 

Jon Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge, Jackanory) stars as the third Doctor alongside Nicholas Courtney (Then Churchill Said to Me, Incendiary), Roger Delgado (The Battle of the River Plate, The Road to Hong Kong), John Levene (Permission to Kill, CanniBallistic!), Bernard Holley (Travels with My Aunt, Z Cars) and Katy Manning (Oakie’s Outback Adventures, When Darkness Falls). 

The production visited Dungeness to film the scenes where the Axon ship lands and The Doctor and UNIT team go to investigate. Dungeness Power Station doubled as the “Nuton power complex” in the third and fourth episodes of The Claws of Axos.

Dungeness is in the Shepway district of Kent and has a beautiful shingle beach with a mixture of old and modern homes, two lighthouses, a historic railway station and a Power Station. Dungeness is a popular film location and has been used for productions such as The Poison Tree (2012) and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2006).

Doctor Who – The Claws of Axos (1971) first aired on BBC1 from Saturday 13th March to Saturday 3rd April 1971 and is now available to buy on DVD. 

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – Mind of Evil (1971)

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) in a suit sat in front of a tiled wall

Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee) © BBC

Director: Timothy Combe
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Nicholas Courtney, Katy Manning, Richard Franklin, Roger Delgado, Pik Sen Lim
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Whitfield, Dover Castle, Former RAF Swingate, Manston Airport

The Mind of Evil (1971) is a six-part story of popular sci-fi show, Doctor Who, starring Jon Pertwee. The Doctor and his companion, Jo, arrive at Stangmoor Prison for the demonstration of a machine that has been created by Professor Keller to pacify criminals. However, when the Doctor discovers that his enemy, the Master, is involved he does everything to stop him before it is too late.

Jon Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge, Jackanory) stars as the third Doctor alongside Katy Manning (Gloria’s House, Evil Never Dies), Roger Delgado (First Man Into Space, The Road to Hong Kong), Nicholas Courtney (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Downtime), Richard Franklin (Emmerdale, Twilight of the Gods) and Pik Sen Lim (Emergency-Ward 10, Mind Your Language).

The production filmed in Kent where they visited Dover Castle which doubled as the exterior of Stangmoor Prison the junction of Archer’s Court Road with Pineham Road in Whitfield which was the location where the Master’s troops ambush the missile convoy. The hangar at Former RAF Swingate was used as the Master’s hiding place for his deadly missile and Manston Airport was the base for the helicopter company providing the choppers and aerial footage in the series.

Dover Castle was founded in the 11th century and defended the coast of Britain for almost 500 years. It is now run by English Heritage as a tourist attraction and is a very popular filming location having welcomed productions such as The Apprentice (2015), Wolf Hall (2015) and To Kill a King (2003).

Dover is a coastal town, home to the infamous White Cliffs of Dover, Dover Castle and Europe’s busiest passenger port, the Port of Dover. The Dover area has welcomed filming from productions such as Mr Selfridge Series 3 (2015), Great British Railway Journeys (2014) and Missing (2009).

Manston Airport is currently awaiting development and boasts a runway and warehouse space. It has been used for James Bond’s Die Another Day (2002).

Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil (1971) originally aired on BBC1 between Saturday 30th January 1971 and Saturday 6th March 1971. It is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – Inferno (1970)

Jon Pertwee as Dr Who in a suit in an office with a brick wall

Jon Pertwee as Dr Who © BBC

Director: Douglas Camfield
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney, Olaf Pooley, Christopher Benjamin
Production Company:BBC
Kent Locations Used: Kingsnorth Industrial Estate, Medway

Inferno (1970) is a seven part serial from popular sci-fi show Doctor Who starring Jon Pertwee. Inferno is a science project aimed at exploiting a new power source underneath the earth’s crust. While the Doctor is fixing his TARDIS, he is thrown in to a parallel universe, where his misgivings of Inferno are confirmed when he sees how it has almost completely destroyed the alternate earth.

Kingsnorth Powerstation next to a road

Kingsnorth Powerstation screenshot © BBC

Jon Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge, Jackanory) stars as the third Doctor alongside Caroline John (Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, P.R.O.B.E), Nicholas Courtney (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Downtime), Olaf Pooley (The Corpse, Star Trek: Voyager) and Christopher Benjamin (Pride and Prejudice, Angel).

The production visited Kingsnorth Industrial Estate in Medway which featured as the setting for the Inferno project. This estate used to be a large oil refinery known as Berry Wiggins and Co Ltd. and is now an Industrial Estate to many businesses.

Medway is a group of towns set along the River Medway, steeped in history, particularly with Charles Dickens connections. Productions which have previously filmed in the area include London Spy (2015), Les Misérables (2013) and Sherlock Holmes (2009).

Doctor Who – Inferno (1970) first aired on BBC1 from Saturday 9th May to Saturday 20th June 1970 and is now available to purchase on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Doctor Who – The Mutants (1972)

Jon Pertwee inside Chilslehurst Cave talking to a man with a torch

Jon Pertwee as Doctor Who at Chislehurst Caves © BBC

Director: Christopher Barry
Starring: Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Paul Whitsun-Jones, James Mellor, Garrick Hagon
Production Company: BBC
Kent Locations Used: Bluewater Quarry, Chislehurst Caves, Stone House Farm Caves

The Mutants (1972) is a six-part story of popular sci-fi show Doctor Who starring Jon Pertwee. The Doctor and his companion, Jo, arrive at Skybase One during the 30th century when the planet, Solos is fighting for independence from the Earth’s empire. However, the natives have started to mutate in to hideous looking creatures and the doctor needs to find out why.

Jon Pertwee (Carry On Cleo, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) stars as the third Doctor alongside Katy Manning (Gloria’s House, Evil Never Dies) as his companion Jo, Paul Whitsun-Jones (The Quatermass Experiment, Huntingtower), James Mellor (Marat/Sade, The Oblong Box) and Garrick Hagon (Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

The production visited Bluewater Quarry which was the setting for the planet Solos prior to the shopping centre being built. The quarry began in the early 19th century and was then rapidly enlarged for cement production in the 1950’s; however it then closed down in the 1980’s and is now Bluewater shopping centre.

Chislehurst Caves also feature and doubled as the interior Solos’ caves. Chislehurst Caves are man-made and 22 miles long, initially dug as chalk and flint mines and are believed to have been last worked in during the 1830’s. The first mention of the mines was in 1250, during World War II when the caves became an air raid shelter for 15000 people with electrical lighting, a chapel and a hospital. The caves are now a tourist attraction and have been used for TV series Merlin (2008) and film The Riddle (2007).

The production also visited Stone House Farm Caves which represented the cave system entrance on Solos. It is situated near Strood in a field next to Lower Rochester Road. The caves are thought to be old chalk mines. The Medway area has previously been seen on screen in Jekyll and Hyde (2015)Great Expectations (2012) and Canterbury Tales (2003).

Doctor Who: The Mutants (1972) originally aired on BBC1 from Saturday 8th April 1972 to Saturday 13th May 1972 and is now available to buy on DVD.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.